As Spring slowly makes its way into our weather forecasts, the promise of sunny days warms our hearts and our bodies. As the temperature increases, unwelcome body odor unfortunately follows suit. Most of us use a deodorant to subdue the stink, but not all deodorants are created equally. Are you using the best products for your underarms?
Why do my armpits smell?
Regardless of deodorant use, everyone stinks sometimes. The body is covered with sweat glands because perspiration is an essential function that helps us regulate our temperatures.
There are two primary types of sweat glands:
Eccrine glands: These cover the entire body and open directly on the skin’s surface. When your body heats up, eccrine glands release sweat, cooling your body. It is typically odorless until bacteria on your skin begins breaking it down. Daily habits such as your diet, as well as certain types of medication, may also cause eccrine sweat to give off an odor.
Apocrine glands: These occur in areas that contain a lot of hair follicles, like the groin and armpit. Instead of opening up to the surface of the skin, apocrine glands empty into the hair follicle and then open up to the surface. Apocrine glands trigger under stress, producing an odorless fluid. This fluid develops an odor upon contact with bacteria on your skin. These glands don’t activate until puberty, which is why that’s usually the time people start to notice body odor.
Regardless of the type of sweat, body odor is usually a sign that you are healthy. Sweating is primarily a mechanism to simply cool the body. While the majority of your body’s detoxing occurs in the liver and kidneys, research suggests that sweating is a way to eliminate metals from your body. If sweating is so good for us, why do we do anything we can to stop it from happening?
Is your deodorant right for you?
First, it is important to distinguish between antiperspirant and deodorant. While the terms are often used interchangeably, they are two completely different products.
Antiperspirant temporarily blocks the pores in your armpits. This stops your sweat from mixing with the bacteria on your skin that produces foul odors.
Deodorant allows your body to release sweat naturally. The products in deodorant simply neutralize underarm odor without blocking sweat.
There is much debate concerning whether antiperspirant is healthy for you. Many people suggest that antiperspirants cause breast cancer and Alzheimer’s, but there has not been concrete scientific evidence to back these claims. On the other hand, many people doubt the efficacy of deodorant without aluminum. Which one is the best? It seems impossible to decide.
Regardless of bodily health and efficacy, both antiperspirants and deodorants contribute to waste. Plastic containers are often thrown into landfills, amplifying unnecessary waste. On top of that, aerosol products are bad for your lungs, potentially leading to health complications if inhaled.
Go natural!
Using a natural deodorant is a great way to keep pesky odors at bay while maintaining skin health. Sweating is a healthy and normal function, that actually helps to eliminate odor causing toxins in the long run. With natural deodorant, you can eliminate those unwelcome smells without disrupting the natural processes at hand. Furthermore, with all natural and safe ingredients, you can rest easy knowing that you aren’t adding more toxins into your system. Unnatural antiperspirants don’t stop sweat at its source. It simply blocks it temporarily from leaving the pores. The sweat eventually leaves, simply extending the amount of time it takes to notice unpleasant smells. It is better to allow your body to naturally regulate itself, targeting the bacteria on your skin and your natural odors as you go along. IMPAKTER ECO offers a wide variety of natural deodorants that reduce unpleasant body odor and your carbon footprint.
Banbu Store- Sensitive Skin Solid Deodorant
This natural product is perfect for people with sensitive skin. With dead sea salts and a light natural sea inspired fragrance, you can channel the crisp fresh smells of the sea without adding toxic chemicals on your skin. In addition, this solid deodorant is completely plastic free, aiming to reduce the amount of plastic waste by the beauty industry.
True Organic of Sweden- Undercover Agent Unisex Deodorant
This deodorant is 99% natural. Its active ingredient is baking soda and it is lightly fragranced with essential oils. Using beautiful glass packaging, this product is 100% recyclable, making it good for you and the planet.
Collectif IRS- Mint Deodorant
This creamy mint deodorant is highly effective in banishing body odor. You apply it by hand, based on white clay, sesame oil and essential oils. Furthermore, lavender, mint, and tea tree oils are natural antiseptics, helping to reduce odor causing bacteria on the underarms.
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Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by Impakter.com columnists are their own, not those of Impakter.com. — Featured Photo Credit: Shutterstock.
